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(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet1z 1).85 A. W. DAVIS. Machine for Troughing. Metal Plates for the.

` 'Manufacture o f Felles.

Pat'e'htht* May i N. Firms, Prmmhogmpher. washington. D.`c.

(No Mael.) 2 sheets-'sheen 2.

D. & A. W. DAVIS. y Machine for Trung-hing Metal Plates for the Manufacture of Fel-lies. l\1 .fz4| ,3o9. i Patented May/10,1881.

N. Ferias. Fhmunhognpher, wwngm, D. c.

lliNr-rnn STA-.ras

PATENT -rrrca DANIEL DAVIS AND ARTHUR TV. DAVIS, OF ELMIRA, NETV YORK, ASSIGNM ORS TO THE DAVIS IRON VAGON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR TROUGHING METAL PLATES FOR THE MANUFACTURE 0F FELLlES.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 241,309, dated May 10, 1881.

Application tiled November 24, 1880.

ments in Machines for Iroughing Metal Plates for the Manufacture of Fellies and for other Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

1c The object'of our invention is to lprovide a more convenient and desirable machine -forj bending n arrow metal plates transversely, so

as to present a U-shaped or other trough-like transverse section, the machine being more 15 especially designed for bending plates from which iron fellies for wagon-wheels are to be formed. Y

To this endour inventionconsists inthe combination of a stationary former of .proper transzo verse section to give the desired form to the plate, a carriage movable in guides, and carrying rollers, which as the carriage descends pass down upon opposite sides of said former,

and a presser which is also carried by and has z 5 a yielding connection with said carriage. and

by the movement thereof is brought down upon the plate to be operated upon, to holdit upon the former while the continued movement of said carriage carries the rollers down 3o upon the plate on each side of the former and thus bends the plate, to cause it to `assume a similar transverse section to that of the former. We preferably employ springs placed between the carriage and the presser, and the power of 3 5 said springs increasing as the carriage moves downward exerts a constantly-increasin g pressure upon the plate, and prevents the middle portion of the plate from rising up from the top of the former as the side portions of the 4o plate are bent inward against the sides of the former.

Our invention also consists in the combination with the roller-carriage, former, ,and presser, above described, of straighteners, which a 5 consist of bars arranged parallel with and upon each side ofsaid former, andwhich preferably vhave at their edges adjacent to eachother lips or ledges upon which the plates are placed, and by which they are held in position parallel (No model.)

with and above the former. These straight- 5o cuers serve as supports for the plates, and are pivoted at their ends so as to swing or turn down to permit of the plate which they hold being carried down by the presser and rollers, yand said straighteners are preferably counter- 5 5 balanced so they will hold the plate stationary until it is carried down by said presser and rollers.

Our invention also consists in the combination, with the former, roller-carriage, presser, 6o and straighteners, ot bearings for said straighteners, which provide for adjusting them toward and from each other to adapt the machine for operating upon different thicknesses of metal, and also for adapting the machine 65 for use in connection with tormers of different transverse sections.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents an end view ot' a machine embodying` our invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudi- 7o nal Section through one half ot' said machine, the other half being a counterpart of that here shown, and Fig. 3 represents a transverse section upon the ydotted line cc m, Fig. 2.

Similar letters of reference designate corre- 75 spondin g parts in all the gures.

The frame ot' the machine is composed of the upright end frames, A, which are connected by a longitudinally-extending former, B, and by suitably-arrangedstretchers or rods, the former 8o B in this instancebeing of a transverse section to impart a trough-like U-shaped trailsverse section to thevplates. The former may be eonnectedto the end frames, so that it may beremoved and one of different transverse scc- 8 5 tion substituted, it' desirable.

The machine maybe arranged with one end toward the furnace in which said plates are heated, so that they may be passed directly into the end of' the machine. o

The rollercarriage is composed of heads or end pieces, D,connected by parallel stretchersorbars D', and at each end thereof is an upwardlyv-extendinglslide, D2, which lits in a suitableslideway or guide, A', in the end frame, 9 5 A, and` guides said carriage during its upward and downward movements.

Motion may be imparted to said carriage by any suitable mechanism. Thathere represented consists of'a shaft, E, mounted in suitable bearings at the top ot' the end frames, A, and receivin g a rotary inotion from a belt over a pulley, E', or in any other suitable manner. Upon each end of the shaft E, outside the en d frames,

'A3-is a crank, E2, which, through a connectingrod, E, imparts motion to the roller-carriage.

Arranged immediately over the formerB and parallel therewith is a presser, F, which tits between the stretcliers or bars D ofthe roller'- carriage, and is adapted to move verticallyiiidependeiitly ot' said carriage, it having a yielding connection therewith. The presser F is provided near its upper edge with laterally-projecting tlan ges a, and the stretchers or bars D are constructed with inwardly-projecting lips b, which project under said flanges a and support the presser. f

Fixed in the saidV presser are upwardly-projecting rods c, which work in guides d, attached to and projecting above said stretchers or bars D', and F designates spiral springs arranged between said guides and presser and exerting a constant pressure upon said presser, but permittin g the roller-carriage to move down without carrying said presser when in operation. Springs ot'other form might be employed, if desirable, and itl the piessers were made of great weight the springs might be entirely dispensed with in some cases.

Arranged parallel with the former B and presser F, and upon opposite sides thereof, are rollers G, which are supported at each end in bearings e, which fit in guides or slidewaysfin the end pieces or heads, D, ofthe roller-carriage, and are adapted to be adjusted by means ot' screws g, provided with hand-wheels g', to move the rollers toward or from each other, to permitI of their being nicely adjusted to operate upon metal ot'dift'erentthicknesses, which, when bent upon afornierof a given size,wouldt'orm troughs ot' different external widths, or to operate in connection with formers of different transverse sections. \`Vhen made of considerable length the rollers G might, with advantage, be provided at about the middle of their length with supports to hold them rigidly vto the plates upon which they opera-te and prevent their springing.

In order to provide for straightening the plates as they are placed in the niaehine-that is to adjust them centrally over the former and exactly parallel therewithwe employ straighteners, consisting of bars or pieces H, arranged parallel with the presser F and former B, and one upon each side thereof. These straighteners are pivoted at each end in bearin gs h, which fit in guidesz upon the back of the end frames, A, and which are adapted to be adjusted to move the two straighteners toward and from each other to suit plates of different widths. The bearings h are held in place by means of bolts i passing through slots therein, and by tightening up said bolts they may be rigidly secured in different positions to which theymay be adjusted.

The straighteners H serve also as supports for the plates, and at their edges adjacent to each other are preferably constructed with projecting lips, ledges, or iianges r, upon which the heated plate is placed, and in order to hold the plate stationary and prevent it from carrying down the straighteners by its weight we prefer to provide the straighteners with counter-balances I, which are suticient to balance the weightot' the heated plate and the straighteners themselves.

In describing the operation of our machine we will presume that the roller-carriage is in its highest position, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, and the straighteners II will also be retained in their highest position by their counter-balances I. The heated plate J is now withdrawn from the furnace and inserted between the straighteners, its opposite edges being slipported by their' lips or iianges k, and it being by said straighteners adjusted into and held in a position exactly parallel with the former B. As the roller-carriage commences its downward movement the rollers Gr bear upon the straighteners H and carry them and the plate downward.

It will be here observed that the edges ofthe straighteners, owing to the arcs which they describe, approach eacli other as they move downward, producing a powerful pressure upon the edges of the plate, and hence the plate J is perfectly straightened, even it' when first inserted it is not wide enough to till the space between the shoulders at the edges of the straighteners.

From the previous description it will be clearly understood that the springs F hold the presser F in its lowest position in the rollercarriage, and the roller-carriage and presser move together until the plate J rests upon the top of the former B. The presser is then held against further movement, while the carriaget'rame, continuing its down ward movement, carries the rollers G down upon opposite sides ot' the former and bends the sides of the plate i11- ward until they touch the sides of the former and the parts have arrived at the position shown in Fig. 3, with the roller-carriage atits lowest point.

It willbe observed that as the roller-carriage moves downward after the presser has ceased moving the pressure exerted upon the plate by the springs F acting through the presser is constantlyinereased, and hence the middle portion ofthe plate is prevented from bulging up or rising above the top of the former, as it might do it' an insuficient pressure were exerted upon the middle portion of the plate.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, s-

l. In a machine for troughin g metal plates, the combination of a stationary former, a frame comprising upright guides, a carriage movable in said guides, rollers mounted in bearings on said carriage and arranged on opposite sides of said former, and a presser, also carried by said carriage and having ayieldin g connection therewith, substantially as specified.

2. In a machine for troughing metal plates,

ICO

IIO

the combination of a stationary former, a roller-carriage movable in upright guides, a presser, also carried by said carriage, and straighteners pivoted one on each side ot' said former and serving' as supports for the plates, substantially as specied.

3. In a machine for troughing metal plates, the combination ot' a former, a roller-carriage movable in guides, a presser carried by and having a yielding connection with said carriage, and straighteners pivoted one on each side of said former and serving as supports for the plates, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. Thestraighteuers H, pivotcd at theironter edges, having at their inner edges lips k, for

supporting the plates, and adapted to be moved downward with the plates, substantially as specified.

5. In a machine for tronghing metal plates, the combination ot' a former, a roller-carriage movable in guides, a presser carried by and havin g ayield in gconnection with said carriage,

the plates are to be placed, and connter-balauces for said straighteners, substantially as specified.

6. In a maohine'for troughing metal plates, the combination ot' a former, a roller-carriage movable in guides, a presser carried by but having a yieldin g connection with said carriage, straighteners pivoted one upon each side ot'said former and provided at their edges, which are adjacent to each other, with projecting lips or flanges, and bearings for said straighteners, which are capable ot' being adjusted to move the straighteners toward or from each other, substantially as specified. A

DANIEL DAVIS. ARTHUR W. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

S. T. REYNOLDS, R. W. DAvIs. 

